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| Many missing as Russia oil rig capsizes off Sakhalin | Many missing as Russia oil rig capsizes off Sakhalin |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| An oil drilling rig has capsized in freezing seas in the Russian far east, with the loss of two lives and more than 50 people missing, officials say. | An oil drilling rig has capsized in freezing seas in the Russian far east, with the loss of two lives and more than 50 people missing, officials say. |
| Some 67 people were reported to be on board the Kolskaya rig as it was being towed off the island of Sakhalin when they ran into a storm. | Some 67 people were reported to be on board the Kolskaya rig as it was being towed off the island of Sakhalin when they ran into a storm. |
| Fourteen people have been rescued, regional emergency ministry officials were quoted by Russian media as saying. | Fourteen people have been rescued, regional emergency ministry officials were quoted by Russian media as saying. |
| Rescue efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions. | Rescue efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions. |
| Empty life rafts | |
| The accident happened at around 14:00 local time (0200 GMT) amid high winds, waves up to 12ft (4m) and temperatures of -17C in the Sea of Okhotsk, some 200km (125 miles) off the coast of Sakhalin. | |
| A regional emergency ministry spokesman told the AFP news agency that the portholes of the rig had been "damaged by ice and waves, and water began going into the vessel". | A regional emergency ministry spokesman told the AFP news agency that the portholes of the rig had been "damaged by ice and waves, and water began going into the vessel". |
| He said the crew had been waiting to be evacuated by helicopter but the platform capsized and sank before they could get to their rescue rafts. | He said the crew had been waiting to be evacuated by helicopter but the platform capsized and sank before they could get to their rescue rafts. |
| Two out of the four life rafts were reportedly found with nobody on board. | |
| The spokesman confirmed to AFP that 14 people had been rescued but were in a serious condition, and two bodies "without signs of life" had been spotted by rescue workers who are "trying to pull them out". | |
| The rig, operated by Russian exploration firm Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka, was being towed from the eastern peninsula of Kamchatka to Sakhalin, Russian media reports. | |
| As the rig was not involved in any drilling work at the time, there is no danger of any oil spill, Russian officials said. |